The Haunted
by XoxPhoenix10
Summary: He was supposed to last a week. But he was taken that night. Rated T for now. Based on CS Horror Month.
1. Chapter 1: Spirits Among Us

**My first Angsty Dark Fic. I'd call this my rough draft of part one, because I'm definitely not done with this. It may cause a few feels.. or shivers... but hey, it's Halloween ;) I'm definitely not good with horror, so feedback would be awesome. Tell me if you want me to continue! Hope you enjoy it! :D**

A week. It was supposed to be a week. He was supposed to be taken from her in a week. But fate was a cruel soul who had other plans.

The five of them were marching through Pan's camp towards their goal, Hook in front, followed by Charming, who swerved his way in between the pirate and his daughter, then Emma, Snow and Regina. Emma had just caught Charming threatening Hook, after he caught them kissing at the campsite.

The kiss.

Emma didn't know what to make of it. That bloody pirate was being so nice, so helpful, so... dare she say it... charming. She wanted to thank him. But she got so much more. That kiss was passion at it''s finest. The way he caressed her hair and she put a vice grip on his jacket, while their tongues battled for dominance was embedded in her memory.

Of course she still cared about Neal, but she'd be a terrible liar if she said that she had zero feelings for Hook.

Because she did.

Does.

She cares for him.

Bloody bastard.

But then that day happened.

And it all went to hell.

They decided to screw finding a way back home, because home is where family is. They infiltrated the camp, following Tinkerbell's instructions word for word. The lost boys had no idea what hit them. Of course they had no idea Henry would be one of the Lost Boys. Dressed head to toe in green, the truest believer stood on a rock, with a poisoned bow and arrow, on some sort of spell, and he shot at Emma.

She never expected her son to try to murder her.

She never expected to die.

But even more, she never expected the pirate who cared about his life more than anything to jump in the way.

"Hook!" She had screamed, as Henry shook his head, recovering from the spell. Hook collapsed to the ground, the arrow protruding from his shoulder. Not a kill shot, but then again all shots were kill shots when the arrows were dipped in dream shade. "No, no, no." She cried falling beside him.

"Emma!" Her parents called simultaneously, fearing she too was grazed. Regina launched herself in the direction of Henry, not caring of the pirate's fate.

"Hold him still." Charming ordered as he pulled the arrow out of Hook's shoulder. Emma caressed his head in her lap trying to soothe his pain. As the arrowhead was yanked out, a veiny cut was left in it's wake, mocking them, sealing Hook's fate.

"Help him up." Snow told her husband and daughter. "We have to get him back to camp. Where's Regina?" She said suddenly, looking around, the four of them so no one. No temperamental queen, no dark Henry and no Lost Boys. They were alone.

A week. The dreamshade was supposed to take him in a week. Not that night.

"Swan." He said, sweating uncontrollably as he lay in the makeshift tent. She quickly went up to him and held his hand, his weak sweaty hand.

"I'm here."

"I'm a bloody idiot."

"Yes you are." She laughed.

"No." He winced. "Not for saving you. I'd do that a hundred times over. I'm an idiot for letting you initiate that kiss."

"What?" Did he regret it? She never decided if she did. Emma was definitely attracted to him, there was no point in denying that, and as she stared into his dull blue eyes, she realized it was more than attraction. She liked Captain Hook. She cared for Killian Jones.

"I should have initiated it." He rasped and she squeezed his hand harder, watching as the blood slowly drained itself from his body. Once she felt the warmth radiate said body, at the top of that beanstalk when he wrapped his arms around her, she could feel every inch of his hot toned body. But with the wound atop his shoulder, it was now cold, lifeless. "When you tied me to a tree, when you grabbed me on that beanstalk, at the lake, when I had you on your back."

She laughed. He smiled.

"Don't leave me." He begged, and she could almost feel the tears slowly making their way down her face. "Shh lass." His thumb rubbed the back of her hand.

"I won't leave you, but you have to promise that you won't leave me." She cried, collapsing onto him, nuzzling her head into his chest.

"I will never leave you lass." He said weakly. She raised her head to look into his eyes. "I will always be with you." His hand moved towards her chest, resting on her heart. "Here."

She looked down to his hand, and wrapped her hand around his. Their fingers intertwined, promising, hoping for a new beginning. Slowly he brought their hands to his face and kissed her fingers.

"Killian." She moaned. His dull eyes looked into hers, his lips curved into a soft smiled.

And that's when his grip on her hand faltered.

That's when the sea closed itself off from her view.

That's when the wind stopped flowing through his lips.

That's when the fire from his body extinguished permanently.

He was supposed to stay with her a week.

But he left that night.

"Killian!" Emma shoots upwards from her bed, the painful memory still lingering freshly in her mind. It has been a year since Hook died, in her arms. A year since Neal was discovered alive. A year since she stopped talking to her lying father, who kept his death sentence a secret. A year since Regina and Henry were rescued. A year since Pan was killed. A year since everyone escaped to Storybrooke.

A week since she began speaking to her father again. A week since Neal moved in. A week since she accepted the marriage proposal. A week since _he_ began haunting her dreams again. Haunting her life.

"I scream your name in bed too, love." Killian sits by her windowsill, blue eyes glowing and mouth curved upwards in the most infuriating smirk. His leather attire clinging deliciously to his body, just as she remembers, his hook by his side.

_You're not real _, she tells herself.

"On the contrary I'm very real."

"You're dead." She croaks, looking up.

"Aye."

The first time she saw him was the second Neal got on his knees. He peered behind the crowd, watching her intently, waiting for an answer.

She could hear his voice in her head. _Be happy, love. _

Then he disappeared.

And she said yes.

"Why are you here?" She asks him as she gets up to get dressed, not faring that he's watching.

"Because you want me here." His gaze lingers on her form.

"Exactly, I want you here alive." She angrily zips up her jeans. "Not in my head." She turns to look at him, his face is serious. She wishes he was really here, so she could touch him. The feel of his stubble scraping against her skin haunts. The need to have his lips on hers consumers her. But he's dead.

Gone.

He smiles for a moment as if reading her thoughts.

Suddenly a creak emanates from the door, she whips her head in the direction of the sound and hears her son and fiance's voice augmenting. By the time she turns around Killian is gone.

But he was always gone.

"Mom!" Henry yells then catapults himself at her in a giant hug.

"Hey kid." She gently runs her fingers through her son's hair.

"Are you feeling better?" He peers up at her. The more Killian appeared, the more she isolated herself in her room, trying to shut him out, tricking those who loved her into thinking she was sick.

"Yeah kid I'm fine."

"Regina's picking him up in a few minutes." Neal smiles, leaning close to her. "That means we get the whole place to ourselves."

She smiles.

The doorbell of their new house rings and Henry runs towards the door to his adoptive mother. Emma stands aside watching them hug.

"I see you and the Queen are getting along."

She whips her head to see him leaning at the doorway casually. But at the same time she sees Regina stare at the spot where Hook stands, eyes widening. She looks back at Neal and Henry who are oblivious to anything.

"Regina? Are you alright?" Emma asks.

"I'm fine." She turns back to her son. "Henry let's go." He eyes linger at Hook a while more, causing Emma to freak out.

Did Regina see him?

She turns away from the door as the engine of Regina's Mercedes starts up. Neal smiles at her from his spot against the wall and then saunters over to her.

"So now that they're gone." He nibbles lightly at her ear causing her to gasp.

"Swan."

Her eyes widen, Killian is no longer leaning on the wall. He's so close to her and Neal, his eyes pleading.

_You can't be here, you're dead._

"Emma please." The pirate pleads.

She ignores him, leaning into her fiance's kisses.

"What do you say we take this upstairs?" Neal asks her.

"I'd say that's the best idea you've ever had." Emma smiles.

They move to the bedroom, kissing passionately, shedding every layer, until he's making out with her atop the bed. Skin on skin, lips on lips. Eyes closed, breathing labored.

"Swan, don't leave me."

Her eyes snap open, and instead of Neal above her, she sees him! His hand caresses her from the side.

"No! No! No!" She says aloud frantically, her body going rigid. "You're not here! You're dead!"

"Emma?" Neal wonders aloud. "Emma what's wrong?" He tries to calm her by placing his hand at her for head, rubbing it softly, but all Emma sees is Killian's hand.

"Get away from me!" She shouts, launching her hands at his chest, making Neal stumble off the bed. "Get out of my head." She curls herself in a ball against the head board and begins to weep.

* * *

"How long?" Neal asks, as they sit at the kitchen table.

"A week."

"Since I proposed." He hangs his head.

"Neal!"

"Why?"

"He died in front of my eyes, because of me."

"Is that it?"

"Yes." She sighs.

"You best not lie, love." Killian says calmly from his corner.

"Do you think it's dark magic?" Emma asks Neal, ignoring the pirate.

"I don't know, we could always ask my dad." Neal replies, and Killian growls.

"Hook doesn't seem to like the idea."

"He's here?"

"Yeah." Emma points to the wall. He seems to scowl at the pirate.

"What do you think?"

"I think it's about time Gold repays his debt."

Emma, Neal and Killian make their way to the pawn shop.

"Ah, well if it isn't my son and future daughter in law." Gold greets them. "What seems to be the problem Miss Swan? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Emma cringes at his his words and apparently so does Killian.

"Actually, yes." Neal responds. "She has been seeing a ghost."

"Oh? And who would that be?"

"Hook." "Killian." Neal and Emma say at the same time.

"And prey tell what you want me to do with a memory of a dead pirate?"

"What does it mean?" Emma stresses.

"Why ask me that? I'm no expert in the mind Miss Swan, I believe we have Dr. Hopper for that."

"Because..." Emma begins. "He seems too real. I mean magic has to be behind it."

"As far as I can tell you Miss Swan, magic has nothing to do with it. It's all you." Gold says calmly. "Which begs the question. Why are you thinking about that Captain, when you have my son right here."

"Papa!"

"Damn Crocodile!"

"Excuse me?"

"When we met up with you and your parents, you were in morning. Now, why is that?"

"He was a friend!" She growls.

"That hurts, love." Killian says.

"Is that all?" Gold sneers.

"We're done here." Emma snaps. She turns on her heels and storms out, Neal and Killian hot on her trail.

"Can't be done dearie! We're family!"

"Emma!"

"What?" She spins around to face Neal but ends up walking through Killian, shivering at the eeriness.

"Always knew I could shake you, Swan."

"Shut up!"

"I didn't say anything!" Neal defends.

"Sorry, not you."

"Look, I'm sorry about my dad, but is he right? Did you have feelings for Hook."

"I cared for him. He was a friend."

"Emma."

"I didn't want him to die alright! It hurt."

"What else?"

"We kissed, and it made me feel whole."

"Emma!"

"What do you want me to say Neal? That a part of me died when he did? That I wish he was a villain and let me die?"

"Did you love him?"

"No." She answers honestly. "But I could have, if he survived, I would have." She looks at Neal's pained face, then at Killian. She wants him to actually be here, so she can tell him this, so she can kiss him.

Before Neal can say anything, Emma's phone rings.

"Swan."

"Emma? It's Ruby."

"What's wrong, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I mean yeah. Listen, you need to come to the cemetery."

"What? Why?"

"Victor and I were walking through the part that no one visits, and stumbled upon Hook's grave."

"Okay..." Where was Ruby going with this?

"No Emma, literally stumbled. Victor had to catch me from falling into it. Someone dug it up."

"What?"

"So, Victor and I wanted to see if they stole anything, because I couldn't smell his body."

Emma's eyes widen, she looks up to see Killian watching her.

"We flipped open his coffin... and... and his body is still there."

"Isn't that good?" Emma asks. Well she knew it would be traumatic to see the bones, but at least no one took him.

"No, Emma, you don't understand... he's still there. All of him, flesh, hook and leather. His body is preserved, like he never died... Emma?"

But she can't answer Ruby as her phone is laying face down on the pavement.

"Emma?" Neal asks, stepping forward.

She just stares at him in shock, then looks next to him, towards Killian Jones, who has a sympathetic smile on his face.

"Told you I'm not done with you, love."

**Review? Who dug up Hook's grave? Why is Emma seeing him? Why is his body preserved?**

**-XoxPhoenix10**


	2. Chapter 2: Living Under His Shadow

**Part 2 of the Haunted. Sorry that it's short, but I want to keep you on suspense. And that episode of OUAT... What are you thinking Emma? Poor Hook! I feel so bad for him. And you guys thought my stories tortured the character :) OUAT writers are worse in that field... or better;) So enjoy! And don't forget... Review :)  
Disclaimer: All I own is this story...**

Emma drives to the cemetery with both hands atop the wheel in a vice grip, while Neal sits silently beside her. He had argued that it was magic, that his father was too uncaring to do anything about the evil spirit lurking. In order for her not to end up soulless, he convinced her to let him tag along, so he could protect her. The mother of his child.

The woman he is going to marry.

The woman who has feelings for a dead pirate.

The man who is essentially Henry's step grandfather.

Was his step grandfather.

Currently, she keeps glancing back through her mirror, swallowing hard every time she does so. No doubt, Hook's ghost is in the back seat, making her nervous. Though little does Baelfire know, that Emma is not squirming in the front of the seat due to uneasiness, but a mute attempt to stifle laughter.

"I forgot how much I hate these damn carriages." Killian mutters, turning a little green. His hand and hook dig into the seat below him .

_Like your ship was any better. _Emma thinks. Thankfully ghost Captain Hook could read her thoughts because if she said anything, Neal without a doubt would be more than unhappy.

"Please, darling, you loved my ship. And if she wasn't destroyed by that bloody storm, I would have brought you aboard and introduced you to the motions of the ocean." He wiggles his eyebrows.

He did not just...

"Whoa! Emma watch the road!" Neal yells as they almost swerve into the opposing lane.

"Sorry." Emma says, shooting Killian a dirty glance through the mirror, only to find that he is no longer there.

Damn ghost.

"Where does this put us?" Neal asks. "I mean you care about him. Do you still love me?"

"What type of question is that? Neal I love you. Hook is dead and..."

"And you're still hanging on to his memory."

"He's dead." She repeats in a weak voice.

"Yeah, well we're about to find out."

The bug rolls up at the cemetery, where hundreds of headstones lie. Neal and Emma slowly make their way to through the eerie landscape, careful not to step on any plots. Names like _Eugene, Gus, James, Athena, Perdita _and _Skinner_ stand out to Emma, reminding her of the Disney movies she had seen as a kid.

They know that its a long walk to the site. Killian Jones was buried near the small pond, the closest thing they could find to the ocean. Of course, he would have probably wanted to be buried at sea with his brother and all other sailors, but Emma didn't want to lose his body in the waters. No. She wanted to be able to visit that pirate. Maybe that's why he's haunting her.

"Hardly Swan." He walks up by her with a grin. "I may be a little displeased with you on that front, but that's not why I'm here. No that's all you, love."

The Mills's mausoleum slowly comes into view and behind it, Ruby is pacing back and forth looking like she's going to throw up, as Whale sits crouched over something on the ground.

_Oh God._

_Killian._

He looks as if not a day went by. Lying there perfectly in that damn leather uniform, his hook placed on his chest, crossed over his ring bearing hand. Even some of that smudged eyeliner still remains on his closed eyes, one of which is stretched open by freaking Frankenstein, revealing a sapphire.

"God, Doc, what are you doing?" Neal squirms at the sight of Whale touching a dead man, and Emma can't blame him, her own saliva is lodged in her throat. Whale rolls his eyes.

"Finally," Red announces. "I was getting worried. Victor is... being creepy."

"I'm doing my job.'' The Doctor says.

"What is going on." Emma says when she finally finds her voice.

"Well, like I said we stumbled upon the grave like this. I wanted to go pay my respects to my mother's grave and then I almost fell in Hook's." _Killian's_, Emma wants to correct her. "And now Victor is _examining_ the body."

Out of no where, Whale pulls out a small pocket knife and cuts the tip of the pirate's finger, letting loose a few drops of crimson liquid.

"What the hell Whale?" Emma exclaims, ready to arrest him for tampering with Killian.

"Emma." Neal holds her, trying to calm her down.

"Relax Sheriff." Whale says calmly, placing some of the fluid in a small vile. "I need to go inspect this at the hospital."

"Why? Why would you need to do that?"

"Because only a living man can bleed oxygen carrying blood cells."

Emma feels her legs start to fail as Neal catches.

"Victor?" Ruby asks, running to her friend, who trembles against her fiance.

"A preservation spell would maintain the body, but the body would appear as if it had just died. This body..."

"It's Killian, Whale! Not the body!" Emma screams, trying to fight her way out of Neal's grip.

"Emma you need to calm down."

"No, I don't! Let me go Neal!" She hisses.

"Victor, are you sure?" Ruby asks crossing her arms.

"Yes. You should probably call Regina or Gold down to the hospital." Whale stands up, flicking off his gloves. "This is their area of expertise."

_He's alive._

_No._

_Yes._

_Oh God yes!_

* * *

It doesn't take long until they arrive at the hospital and Neal leaves Emma to find his dad, being oh so hesitantly as he does so. She looks at Killian with the saddest look on her face. A look of want, need, desperation. Hook lies in the bed, with the same fluffy white immasculating robe and baby blue top he wore the day he got hit by that dreaded car. Except this time, Emma can't count how many times his chest rises and falls , to the rhythm of his beating heart. She is not preparing herself to interrogate him about Cora. No. This time she awaits for him to take a breath. This time he remains lifeless.

But yet he isn't.

He's alive.

"Emma!" The sheriff jumps to the sound of her mother and father calling her.

"In here!" She replies, her hand finds his hand, and she squeezes it slightly. Its cold. But warm.

Dr. Whale had preformed a multitude of tests on him. Blood. Spinal fluid. All results indicate that Killian Jones is indeed alive.

But how?

Why won't he wake up?

And who dug him up.

"Oh my God." Mary Margaret gasps as she stumbles into the room, followed by a wary David, carrying a tray of hot cocoa. He is still on the edge of his relationship with Emma because she just started forgiving him. For lying that is. He looks at Hook, then back to his daughter who looks almost as dead as he does. "I can't believe he's alive."

"Neither can I." Emma responds.

"As much as I hate to admit, I miss him calling me mate." David laughs. Emma laughs lightly, taking a cup of cocoa from her father.

"How are you doing?" Snow asks with a sympathetic look.

"I'm... I... I cared about him. I didn't want him to die. We kissed the day before."

"What?"

"David not now."

"He made me confused, because I was still mourning Neal and he was being sweet and caring and damn him! I had... have feelings for him." Emma looks to her parents, trying to assess their reactions. David's mouth is open and Mary Margaret's eyebrows are in an upside down V. "And then he died. And we found Neal. And Neal proposed and I started seeing him. And now, somehow Killian is alive."

"Oh Emma, I'm here." Her mother holds her in a tight embrace as her father stares at her still holding the tray. She looks at him with a smile that says it's okay and he smiles back, hugging his girls.

"We're here!" They turn to see an eager Henry bounding in the room, followed by a less amused Regina. She stops in her tracks upon entering the room.

"That snide little rat."

"Regina!"

"If you came here to insult Kill..."

"Calm down Miss Swan. I have no intention in berating your boyfriend. I was talking about Pan." She rolls her eyes.

Though dead, the mention of that demon teenager still brings chills throughout the room.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Emma asks.

"He managed to steal my secret weapon, and hide it from me."

"I don't understand." Charming begins.

"Don't you see?" Regina marches forward and points at the pirate. "Hook's under a sleeping curse."

**:)**

**-XoxPhoenix10**


	3. Chapter 3: Not a Ghost but a Part of You

**Consider this story done for now, I have no other plans for it. I hope you all like the ending. Remember, I am always open to prompts for ONE SHOTS, so if you have any ideas, PM me or leave it in a review. Sorry for the delay. There's this really annoying thing in life called Finals... ughh.. I cringe at the thought, so that's sort of why I take so long to update. Enjoy! :)**

"No..." Emma says, slowly backing away. Snow lets go of her daughter and so does David. It cannot be as simple as a sleeping curse, because that would be too easy, and she cannot handle false hope at this point.

"Why would Pan put Hook under a sleeping curse?" David demands as Snow consoles their daughter.

"I would think that the Captain wasn't his intended target." Regina replies nonchalantly.

Not his target? No... no... no. Emma remembers the way Peter's stupid grin faded as Hook plummeted to the ground, but it was not because he wanted Emma to get hit by the arrow... no, his eyes were on...

"Mary Margaret." _He wanted to make sure I was an orphan._ Snow was closer to Emma when Pan possessed Henry to shoot the poisoned arrow, so he probably expected her to jump in front of Emma, he did not perceive that Killian would save her. And with David sentenced to die by dream shade in a few hours, Pan had no idea that he was cured yet, it would have been highly unlikely that he would be able to give her true love's kiss by the time the sleeping curse would take effect. "It was meant for you."

"Why would he target me?" Snow whimpers as David wraps his arm around her waist.

"He wanted to make me a lost girl. He wanted you both dead." Emma manages to say.

"I guess we both owe Hook thanks." David nods towards the comatose pirate. If Hook did not lead David to the spring the day before, Emma would have no family left.

"I'm sorry Mom, Grandma." Henry turns from Regina to hug both women. "It's all my fault."

"Henry!" Regina scolds. "Do not blame yourself for this."

"This is all Pan's fault, you did not cause this." Emma pitches in.

"But it is... I gave Pan my heart willingly..." He moves away from the women towards the Captain's motionless body.

"It's not your fault kid." Emma presses. _Killian._

"Darling, as much as I enjoy a good rest, I think it's about time you wake this old pirate up." He stands over his own body, but his eyes never leave Emma."

"The only problem is how do we wake him up?" Emma asks the real people right in front of her.

"True love's kiss." Snow replies, looking intently at her daughter.

"So what? We just put him out on display for every woman in Storybrooke to kiss him and hope one of them is his true love?"

"It doesn't work like that Emma. True love isn't that simple, you have to be in love with the person for it to work."

"So, then how do we wake him up?" She repeats impatiently.

"Oh you don't." A snarky voice emanates from the doorway. Gold. "I see you've found our dear dear Captain."

"Papa." Neal warns, emerging from behind the Dark One.

"What do you mean, we don't, Gold?"

"Well, it's quite simple really," he fiddles his fingers in the air dramatically. "She's dead."

"Mama wasn't Hook's true love." Neal protests, and he and Emma share a knowing look.

"What do you want Gold? Did you know about this?" Regina snaps.

"You mean, did I know my adolescent father did to my enemy what you did to yours? No. And the only reason that I am here dearie, is because my son asked me to be."

"And what do you recommend?" Emma growls impatiently. "We just leave him like this?"

"What I suggest, Miss Swan, is that you remember who you're marrying."

"What are you implying Gold?" Emma growls, she can see from the corner of her eye that Regina is amused by the entire matter.

"That you should ignore your, how should I say this, desires and do what's right for your son, rather than follow in the footsteps of my ex wife, the pirate's whore." _Son of a bitch!_

"Papa! How could you say that?" Neal scolds, at the same time Mary Margaret and David threaten them. Emma is too appalled to even speak.

"Because that's where Miss Swan is heading with her feelings for this filth. And I won't the Captain do to you what he did to me."

"HOW DARE YOU!" Emma screams. Silence ensues. Killian deserves better than to have his mortal enemy reduce him, especially after what he did for them.

For Henry.

For her.

"Emma." Neal tries, but she puts her hand up to quiet him.

"I owe him my life, and Gold, you do too. If it wasn't for Killian you would still be in that box. And you know what? Yeah I care for him! But I would never do anything to hurt my son..."

"STOP!"

Everyone looks at Henry who gets in between of his mother and grandfather, before a flame fight ensues.

"You guys are not helping. Hook needs true love's kiss, not for all of you to go to war

." He turns to Emma. "You have to try it. You have to kiss him."

"Kid..."

"It's okay Emma." She's surprised to see Neal prompting her. "I'll be out in the hallway." There is an undeniable sadness evident on the man's face as he looks his fiancee in the eye, begging her to never forget them. She loves Neal but she also loves Hook, and right now Killian is her priority.

"Bae!" Rumple exclaims.

"Papa, it's okay."

"No it's not okay!" The Dark One growls. "I will not let that man steal

Emma from you, the way he stole your mother from me!"

"I think that it would be best for you to leave Gold." Regina orders, holding her son close. Henry looks up at his grandfather in fear.

"Come on Papa." Neal pleads, leading his father out of the room. As the two of them leave, the attention is turned back on the Captain who is still sound asleep, looking peaceful yet distraught.

"Mom, you have to do it." Henry repeats, but Emma cannot do it. She can't kiss him and hope that they care about each other enough for the curse to pass.

"I... um... I need a moment." She says slowly backing up towards the door. She spins around and dashes out, past Gold and Neal who are sitting at the waiting area, past Dr. Whale who is confused at hell, past a few protesting nurses, who watch as she locks herself in a storage closet.

It's a small room, with no windows, dimmed lights and a cold, hard tiled floor. The walls are bleach white lined with shelves and drawers filled with gauze, needles, tubing, bandages, gloves, pillows and sum sheets. A small fridge is at the edge, to which Emma has no problem ransacking, finding blood bags, intravenous fluid and a few water bottles left by staff. She needs to get her mind off of Killian, off her engagement to Neal, off of everything.

Her dry cracking lips push her body to snatch one of the water bottles and rip the cap open, her mind pushing aside the fact that the bottle had been lying next to blood bags for God knows how long. As she attacks the bottles, rogue droplets moves past her lips, trailing down her neck, and she ignores it until a rough finger smoothes across its path.

"They say it's rude not to offer your guest something to drink." He is there. Of course.

"So you're obviously not a ghost, considering you're alive." Emma says capping the bottle. "So what are you, and what do you want from me?"

He laughs.

"Call me your conscience." Hook's body... no, his form strides dangerously closer to hers, until she can breathe in what he exhales. Why she can touch him, is beyond her considering so far he's been a ghost, walking through her, disappearing, masking Neal. "Gold lied when he said no magic was in play. He saw me and so did the Queen" He continues. "It's your magic."

_What do you mean?_ Emma thinks.

"You missed me. You care for me so much that accepting Neal's proposal made you feel guilty and as a result you conjured me up."

"So what? You're just a figment of my imagination?" Emma asks disbelieving.

"No, Swan." He laughs again. "I am very bloody real." His face grows serious. "And I can't bear to see you in pain or know that Baelfire is touching you when I am the one you've chosen." _Damn why was he allowed to read her thoughts._ "I need you Emma."

Its not a plea or lie, it's pure truth, pure want and desire.

"What about Milah?" It comes out breathy. _Way to ruin the moment Emma._

"It's not even the fact that she's gone anymore. I've never fallen so hard for another woman, even Milah, until you came into my life."

Her mouth parts as she crashes it towards his. This kiss... it's unbearable. Just like she remembered. He attacks her mouth just as forcefully as she does his. Until that bucket of ice water falls upon her head.

"No!" She pulls away, on the verge of tears. "You're not him! You're not real. This isn't real!"

"I am real love!" He grasps her wrists with his hand and hook. "And this could be too; all you have to do is wake me up." His mouth covers hers again, and she can't help it she moans and runs her hands all over his hair, his neck, his back.

Realization finally hits her hard.

_I love him._

She feels light headed, wanting, lustful. But she has to break this kiss because she still needs answers. He rests his forehead against hers after they both break, panting heavily.

"It's too bad I won't remember this when I wake." Killian says.

"I need to know who dug at your grave." She can sense his disappointment when she changes the subject as his breathing returns to normal almost instantly.

"It was my first mate." William Smee_? Why?_ "Once you allowed my soul passage to this realm, I visited him, seems as if the rat is scared of his Captain, even in death. Telling you I was alive wouldn't have passed, you love, are too stubborn for your own good, you couldn't even believe I was real. You needed to see me to believe."

"So you got him to dig your coffin out."

"Yes." He scratches his ear nervously. "Emma there's something you should know."

"Emma?" She steps away from Killian, and turns her head to the sound of her mother's voice. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah... I..." she looks back to where Hook is supposed to be, but he's gone. But that does not matter, because he will be with her soon. She loves the bastard. She knows that it's going to be a long talk with Neal... and Henry, but it will be worth it. Eventually.

She opens the door to see her parents looking at her worried.

"I'm okay. I can do this." She tells them. But it's more for her own motivation that she says these words.

The surrounding people all stare at her as she follows the royals back to the hospital room. Gold appears as if he's trying to restrain himself as his son looks on sadly. Meanwhile inside Hook's room, all eyes are on the pirate, lying soundlessly in that damned white fluffy bathrobe.

_I can do this. I need this. I need him._

Emma looks to her mother and father, who nod back at her encouragingly, while her son smiles back at her in the arms of an indifferent Regina. She leans over the pirate, looking at his pale form.

_I love you Killian_. She thinks, and dives in to kiss him on the lips. His lips are soft in even through the time spent dead to the world, it feels just like when she kissed him in Neverland, except for the lack if warmth and cockiness radiating through his body. But what should be seconds feels like eons as, contrary to Neverland, his lips don't move with hers.

_Nothing is happening. That can only mean one thing._

_He doesn't love me back._

Her heart breaks at that moment, creating a wrenching pain in her chest and she can feel her eyes beginning to moisten.

Is that what his soul was trying to tell her, that he doesn't love her back?

But then the most amazing thing happens.

A flash of light.

A burst of energy.

A breath of life.

A vivid blue.

Lips mold into hers, tongues breach the defenses and battle away.

Breathless moans protest when it is time to come up for air.

"Swan."

It... it worked.

"Killian?" She gasps.

_Oh God! He's alive. He. Is. Alive._

He stares up at her a little confused and then a sated grin overwhelms his perfectly lively face.

"If this is heaven, I should have died sooner."

She cannot help but smile with him, even though she wants to slap him for the mere mention of death.

"Sorry mate, but you're very much alive." David says, torn between wanting to welcome his buddy back and his fist wanting to welcome his face for kissing his daughter.

"So it would seem." Hook groans, trying to prop himself upwards. "What the bloody hell happened?"

"You were under a sleeping curse." Snow explains.

"Wha... but... the dream shade?... Swan... Emma, you kissed me." Killian realizes.

"I did." She admits, with a shy smile.

"You guys are each other's true love!" Henry states happily and both adults try to process his words.

Killian turns his gaze back towards Emma.

"We'll give you some time alone." Mary Margaret smiles. David and Henry both pout as the princess rushes them off and Emma and Killian send her a look of gratitude.

"You love me Swan?" For someone back from the dead, he is sure to the point. She can tell that he is trying to suppress a smile. A stupid stupid smile that she wants to smack off or kiss off. In a heartbeat, she crushes her lips to his once more and he moans, tangling his hand in her hair. He tastes salty like the sea, an intoxicating breath of rum and cinnamon and he tastes better than anything Granny could cook up. Pouring all the passion into the kiss, she playfully nips at his bottom lip giving it a sharp tug, and he reciprocates with an impressive move with his tongue causing her to moan in his mouth. It takes moments for them to break, both hesitant to do so, but their unfortunate for oxygen rips them from each other. "I thought this was a onetime thing." An infuriating smirk forms from his swollen lips.

But she can't think about that kiss now. Seeing him so carefree and acting as if he was not dead for a whole year

"Never ever do this again!" She practically screams at him. "I thought you were dead, I thought we lost you. We buried you! I mourned you! You were not here when I needed you most. You left before I could tell you that I love you and..."

He cuts her off with his lips.

"I love you Emma Swan." He cups her face gently in his hand and she cannot stop the tears of joy running down her face.

"Never leave me again." She pleads. "I need you. I love you."

"I will never leave you my love, because you are my life."

A year since he woke from the sleeping curse. A year since she ended her engagement to Neal. He took it pretty calmly, saying that he knew that her heart wasn't set on him. A year since Tinkerbell mustered up the courage to kiss Neal. A year since Emma and Killian professed their love to each other. A year since he proposed.

A month since the wedding of Captain Killian 'Hook' Jones and Princess Emma Swan. A month since Regina found love with the King of thieves, Robin Hood. A month since Snow and Charming gave birth to Emma's baby brother. A month since Neal proposed to Tinkerbell.

A week since Emma discovered she was carrying twins. A week since Killian got his hand back. A week since Emma had to go to some high school reunion. A week since that ex teenager flirted with Emma's husband. A week since Killian punched out that former jock who tried to touch his wife. A week since he got to see what the inside of a New York prison looked like. A week since Captain Hook got to experience the hormonal rage that was his angry pregnant wife.

A day since everyone returned to the Enchanted Forest. A day since they spent their first night in the castle. A day since Henry accidentally walked in on them doing so. A day since Emma Swan's first Christmas feeling complete, with her whole family by her side and her true love.

And now she doesn't mind that she was haunted.

She's glad that she never forgot him.

She's glad she held onto a ghost.

Because now she has everything she ever wanted.

Him.

**Done! Hope you all enjoyed it! Don't forget to review :) Down Boy should be posted soon, I basically wrote the last chapter, I just need a good ending. Expect the next Chapter of Bleed My Heart Dry at like Dec 20th ish... EXAMS FINALS, so yeah. Have a great day/night :)**

**-XoxPhoenix10**


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